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Thursday, May 19, 2016

The Light at the End of the Snot-Nosed Tunnel

For the past two weeks, we've had a nasty virus and strep go through the house. Mama needs a break! The above is me, at least in my head...I'm actually running around like a crazy person trying to catch up.

Luckily, my boys are healthy again. But I kept wondering during that time why they'd gotten so sick. I had given them supplements, gotten them to bed as early as possible, and feed them healthy food (which can sometimes be a battle, right?). Why did they get so slammed?

It got me thinking about difficulties in life in general. Sometimes we can be doing EVERYTHING as close to right as we can, and they still pop up unexpectedly - and often, at the worst possible time.

It gave me solace to think that once my boys had fought off this sickness, their immune systems would be stronger. They could never get this virus again. Their body in amazing and unseen ways was fighting AND learning. Their immune system, though taxed, was simultaneously bolstering.

We can grow through difficulties too. We've all heard the adage, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." But isn't this a huge, often overlooked upside of challenge when we patiently and faithfully work our way through it?

Faith, like immunity, is a muscle that can grow inside of us. We will come out on the other side of things stronger. Things that once bothered us will not the next time around because we'll have greater peace, greater trust, greater comfort from God. Sometimes the only way to learn this is to go - and grow - through difficulty.

The Bible makes this promise clear in James: "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way" (The Message, James 1:2-4).

While we're growing, there's an additional promise for us too: God's love is always surrounding us. I would have done anything to help my children feel better. Every hand hold, every snuggle, and even every clean up effort (you get the picture), reminded me of how much more attentive the God who made us is of us.

So whatever you're facing today, take heart. God is with you, and this too is temporary...So let's see those muscles!